Azure NetApp Files FAQ: Find answers to commonly raised questions

Azure NetApp Files is a cost-effective, highly available, and high performance fully managed file storage service from Microsoft Azure. It provides volumes as a service, for which you can create NetApp accounts, capacity pools, and volumes. You can also select service and performance levels and manage data protection. You can create and manage high-performance, highly available, and scalable file shares by using the same familiar protocols and tools that you rely on in your on-premises environment.

Azure NetApp Files simplifies the migration and running of Linux and Windows applications in Azure. Enterprise databases, file shares, AI/ML, and HPC applications often utilize file-based storage to streamline management operations. With integrated support for NFS and SMB protocols, these applications can operate in Azure without needing to re-architect.

Azure NetApp Files is an enterprise storage service that accelerates and simplifies the migration of workloads, including, Linux and Windows applications, Azure VMware Solution, SAP HANA, Oracle and SQL Server databases, high-performance computing (HPC) applications, AI/ML, and general file shares in Azure.

Azure NetApp Files supports multiple protocols, including NFSv3, NFSv4.1, SMB 2.x, SMB 3.0, SMB 3.1.1, and simultaneous dual-protocol volumes. It’s all managed through the Azure console, CLI, APIs, and Terraform. Billing is managed through your Azure account, and support is provided directly by Azure.

Getting started with Azure NetApp Files is easy.  The whole process can take less than 10 minutes.  Below are the key steps to get started. 

Steps

1. Sign in to the Azure portal.
2. Access the Azure NetApp Files pane.
3. Select + Add to create a NetApp account. The New NetApp Account window appears.

4. For more details, see Register for NetApp Resource Provider.

Azure NetApp Files provides NFS and SMB volumes. For NFS, you can use workload tools such as rsync to copy and synchronize source data into an Azure NetApp Files volume. For SMB, you can use robocopy the same way. These tools can also replicate file or folder permissions.

For information about the Azure File Migration Program, see Migrate the critical file data you need to power your applications. Also, see Microsoft’s comparison of Azure Storage migration tools. Meanwhile, NetApp offers a SaaS-based solution, NetApp^® BlueXP^™ copy and sync, to easily move files. BlueXP lets you replicate NFS or SMB data to Azure NetApp Files NFS exports or SMB shares.

To migrate certain structured datasets (such as databases), it’s best to use database-native tools such as SQL Server Always On availability groups, Oracle Data Guard, and other similar tools.

With Azure NetApp Files, you pay only for the resources you use with no set-up charges. Azure NetApp Files comes with three performance tiers—Standard, Premium, and Ultra—that can be provisioned with a simple click. This allows you the flexibility to choose a tier that’s aligned with your workload requirements and to optimize spending.

You can now use the cool access option in a capacity pool of Azure NetApp Files service level to have inactive data transparently moved from Azure NetApp Files standard service-level storage (the hot tier) to an Azure storage account (the cool tier). This option lets you free up storage that resides within Azure NetApp Files volumes by moving data blocks to the lower cost cool tier, resulting in overall cost savings.

Refer to Azure for Azure NetApp Files pricing details.

Azure NetApp Files continues to be rolled out in new regions. For the most current availability information, visit the Azure NetApp Files region and features map.